Appeals Court to Decide Telescope's Fate

Apache Indians have asked the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the construction of the $60 million Large Binocular Telescope planned for Mount Graham in Arizona. University of Arizona officials had hoped to begin operating the first of two mirrors in 2000 or 2001; two smaller telescopes are already operating. Environmentalists have fought the project for a decade, but their lawsuits have not stopped the project. The Apache lawsuit seeks to stop construction until the US Forest Service consults with the Apaches about the cultural and religious significance of the site.